Image information captured by image capture devices, such as digital still photo cameras, are susceptible to noise as a result of physical limitations of the image sensors, interference from illumination sources, and the like. With the increased demand for smaller image capture devices, e.g., in multi-purpose mobile devices such as mobile wireless communication devices, comes the need for more compact image sensor modules. The decrease in the size of image sensor modules results in a significant increase in the amount of noise captured within the image information.
Image information filtering is a common process used for removing or reducing noise, and improving the quality of a rendered image. Application of low pass filtering to captured image information reduces the amount of noise in the image, but also tends to blur the image by destroying sharp edges containing high frequency signals. Application of high pass filtering to captured image data enhances sharp edges and contrast, but inevitably enhances the noise as well.